Our bodies thrive on physical activity, especially when it means taking that much-needed break from the office chair. More than likely, getting hurt isn’t the first thing on your mind when exercising, but make sure you’re taking necessary precautions to avoid sports injuries that could put you out of commission.
Most Common Sports Injuries:
As an adult participating in an exercise regimen, you’ll probably notice two things: 1) Your body isn’t as agile as it was in your younger years and 2) you are more susceptible to sports injuries as your body gets older, including these most common sports injuries:
- Sprains – especially ankle sprains, involving a stretched or torn ligament
- Strains – from a pulled or twisted muscle, often caused by over-stretching
- Knee injuries – such as torn ligaments, commonly from repetitive movements
- Fractured bones – can be simple or major, but often a result of repeated impact
- Hernias – caused from the overuse of groin muscles
Preparation
Injuries can occur even before you’ve broken a sweat. Don’t set yourself up for failure. Take the time to stretch and warmup. Make sure you have the right equipment when you begin.
Most importantly, ensure you’ve had the proper training and the correct form to participate in your chosen activity. Too often adults aren’t adequately conditioned for the sport, or use incorrect form, leading to many common sports injuries.
Maintain Activity Levels
Keep in mind your ability and exercise ranges. Push too hard and an injury may be just around the corner. You also don’t want to try and fit all of your activities into a weekend. Spread your workouts throughout the week, building up to high-intensity activities, ensuring your body doesn’t go into overload mode and send your muscles into a panic.
Safety Gear
For whatever sport you are participating in, make sure you are wearing the necessary safety gear like knee and wrist pads, shin guards, and helmets. They are there for a reason, and can help you avoid many sports injuries.
Cross Train
Train your body in a multitude of ways that can reduce injury. Bodies need a lot of attention with various activities, so incorporate a variety of physical workouts into your repertoire, such as cardio, strength training, and flexibility exercises.
Dr. Knight at True North Chiropractic can assess your body and give specific instructions tailored for your body and its needs to make sure you avoid sports injuries. Call 801-447-1647 today for an appointment.